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It’s a uniquely American idea — right up there with road trips,
tailgates, and girls’ day out at the spa — the idea that not only
are we not stuck in our jobs for a lifetime, but also that we’re
letting ourselves down when we stick with a bad deal for too
long. From “Take This Job and Shove It” to “Office Space” to
“Jerry Maguire”, we celebrate our freedom to tell off the boss
and take on bigger, better adventures.

So how do you know when it’s time to “fire the boss” and find a
better home?

When he blames you for his failures

You worked all weekend on the Peterson pitch, hoping your team
lands the big new account. You put everything you had into it.

And yet, when the pitch failed, where was your boss? Shouldering
the blame and healing wounds?

Nope, he was throwing you under the bus — for your slides or
hand-out materials or earrings or handshake or some other
nonsense — just like he always does.

What’s worse, if he had only been paying attention to body
language and been a little nicer to Slow Joe, Mr. Peterson’s
dim-witted nephew, instead of trying to prove him wrong in front
of everybody else, perhaps you’d all be celebrating instead of
commiserating.

When the boss blames you, time to fire the boss.

When he’s focused on his own success — to your
detriment

When the boss’ success — his job, his awards, his glory — come
first, second and third, you need to realize that he’s decided
where his interests lie…

He’s looking out for El Número Uno. And no, that doesn’t
translate to “my hard-working team”.

When the boss is placing all his bets on himself, and all the
burden on you, it’s time to fire the boss.

When he’s got no new ideas

You’ve tried to get him to see the light, but he’s stuck doing
the same old things. And they’re still not working.

If he’s in a rut, a rut, a rut, a rut, a rut — you get the idea —
that means that your career trajectory is stuck right behind his.
It’s time to get unstuck and get moving again. Fire the
boss.

When things aren’t getting better

The easiest way to know when it’s time to fire your boss is when
things haven’t improved, despite his promises. The big accounts
aren’t coming through, the new products fizzle, the big hires
that he trumpets end up being Jokers, not Aces in the hole.

Sometimes it’s just better to find a home where good stuff
happens, instead of sticking around a place where there’s always
an explanation for failure.

When the trendline isn’t going up, it’s time to fire the
boss.

When he’s lost the confidence of others

Maybe you’re a sweetheart, a softie, a true believer in a human
being’s ability to turn things around. But after a few years of
missed budgets, too many quarters of failed promises, too many
weekly staff meetings that depressed rather than inspired you, it
might be time to look around and realize that your boss has lost
the confidence of others beside you.

If his peers are turning on him, his team members have lost the
faith, and customers feel they just can’t rely on him anymore,
it’s time for you to quit being a suffering martyr to the cause.
It’s time for you to fire the boss.

Why fire the boss? Because life is much more than a paycheck.

You see, you can always buy more things. More car. More house.
More toys. More clothes. And if you live in Hollywood, more
curves in alluring places.

But the one thing in life you can’t buy more of is time. Your
time.

A company can always find somebody else to fill the job slot,
warm the seat, take the pay, and punch the clock.

But you?

You’re trading the most precious thing you’ll ever have, these
next few years of your life. You’re hoping the trade is a smart
one. That in exchange for these fast-moving, fleeting years,
you’ll get experience, insight, and wisdom in addition to your
paycheck.

So when the boss doesn’t measure up; doesn’t honor your
sacrifice, and treasure, and time; doesn’t live up to the
standard that somebody getting your most precious gift ought to
live up to…

There’s only one course an American can take.

Fire the boss. Free yourself. And find a better
home for your talents.